Hundreds attended the Emmett Till remembrance dinner at the McCormick Place Hyatt in Chicago, Illinois this past weekend. This was part of a series of events commemorating the murder of Emmett Till 60 years ago in Mississippi. Originally, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was slated to be the keynote speaker; however, because of an emergency he sent sister Ava Muhammad on his behalf with messages for the family and guests. Ava Muhammad spoke eloquently regarding race relations in America, and about finally deciding to fight back after 500 years of being at war and being harmed and killed by those in power. She mentioned that all of us have a duty to protect the greatest gift we have been given.
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The mother of Sandra Bland also spoke briefly about her relationship with God and how individuals need to walk what they talk.
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The mother of Trayvon Martin also spoke and described how painful it has been for her recently and how she would not give up until justice is served. The parents of Jordan Davis, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant, Michael Brown, Jr, and Kendrick Johnson were also at the event. The common thread of the evening spoke to the strength of Emmett Till’s mother Mamie Till Mobley and how during the most difficult moment of her life she was able to muster up the power to move forward and show the world what was done to her son in the name of evil and white supremacy.
Lalah Hathaway sang beautifully in tribute to Mamie Till Mobley and Emmett Till. The legacy of Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till Mobley has changed the face of society and provides strength to those who are still suffering from these injustices so many years later. We can’t continue burying our future. The change must begin now.
Take a look at the gallery below.
